The Bellerose Bulldogs have two games to rebound from the latest loss before the playoffs tip off in metro Edmonton women’s basketball.
Wednesday’s 66-44 result against the Archbishop MacDonald Marauders dropped Bellerose (7-2) behind MacDonald (9-0) and Strathcona Christian Academy Eagles (9-1) in the division two standings.
Only eight Bulldogs were dressed for the big game as injuries and other factors reduced the 12-player roster.
“We were missing two of our posts and a couple of other girls, but we still tried to come in as strong as we could knowing that they’re a strong team,” said Aneilia Ayotte, a Grade 11 point-producing forward. “Hopefully those of us that are injured can heal quick and we’ll have a full team again and then we’ll practice and prepare for everything that comes our way.”
Ayotte, 17, drained the opening 16 points for Bellerose before leaving the game with a knee injury at 1:35 into the third quarter and the home team down and out at 43-16.
The next highest-scoring Bulldog was Jordana Rivet with eight points.
MacDonald, on the other hand, hit nothing but net while posting period leads of 18-9, 39-15 and 62-25.
Katia Stocco shredded Bellerose with six three-pointers in the first half, including four daggers in the second quarter, before finishing with seven three-balls overall and 21 points.
“They have a lot of strong shooters and our defence kind of lacked when they were shooting,” Ayotte said.
The teams had crossed paths in the Feb. 1 final of the MacDonald tournament with the Marauders coming out on top.
“This was closer,” Ayotte said of the rematch. “Under the circumstances it kind of sucks.”
The first league game for Bellerose after going 2-1 in the tournament was the 59-47 setback against the Eagles in Sherwood Park. The Eagles are the sixth-ranked 3A team in the province.
Bellerose regrouped Monday and the 90-40 throttling of the visiting Bev Facey Falcons (3-7) marked the return of Bellerose teacher Ang Thompson as the senior women’s head coach. Triawna St. Germaine, the fifth-year Bellerose bench boss, is unavailable to coach the team because of unforeseen circumstances. Thompson used to coach the lady Bulldogs back in the day.
Bellerose is 14-5 overall after the most disappointing loss for the senior women’s program since the 2018 division three final, 55-45 to the Parkland Immanuel Penguins (8-5) as the Bulldogs finished 12-1 in league play.
Last year’s division three champions haven’t missed a beat in the higher division despite the recent hiccup of two losses in three games.
“We’ve been practicing a lot harder knowing that we're up a division and we’ve had really good coaching,” said Ayotte, one of six returnees from the 12-2 Bellerose team that competed in its third consecutive division three final as the second senior women’s metro Edmonton basketball champions in school history.
“Our team has a lot of chemistry on and off the court and that helps us a lot because we’re all really good and close friends,” Ayotte added. “We’ve also got a lot of strong Grade 10s this year and that’s helped.”
Upcoming for Bellerose before the March 2 quarter-finals are games against the Memorial Marauders (1-7) at 5 p.m. Wednesday in Stony Plain and the host Lillian Osborne Legends (6-3) Feb. 24 at 5:30 p.m.
Bellerose men
Wednesday’s home-floor 88-77 loss to MacDonald (3-7) left the division two Bellerose men below the playoff cutoff line as the top eight qualify.
Bellerose (2-7) was led by Derian Ward’s 15 points, 11 apiece by Logan Kowaluk, Josh Warner and Nikhil Bhatengar and 10 each for Cam Knisley and Adam Rafat.
League play ends with road games against the Spruce Grove Panthers (7-2) Wednesday and M.E. Lazerte Voyagers (6-3) Feb. 24 and the start times are 5:30 p.m.
This weekend, Bellerose is competing in the Morinville Wolves Invitational Tournament and Friday's score against the Parkland Pacers of Edson determined if the Bulldogs play the Peace Wapiti Academy Titans of Grande Prairie or the division three Eastglen Blue Devils in Friday's consolation bracket or today’s semifinal at 10:45 a.m.
The tournament draw and results are available at mchs.gsacrd.ab.ca.
